ATP Oil & Gas to develop Helvellyn field off UK in the North Sea

By OGJ editors

HOUSTON, Aug. 7 -- The UK Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has approved development of Helvellyn field on Block 47/10 in the southern gas basin of the UK continental shelf in the North Sea. ATP Oil & Gas (UK) Ltd., Guildford, UK, has been confirmed as production operator of the field. Production is expected to commence in 2003.

ATP said the field would be developed with a well that would be tied back to the BP PLC-operated Amethyst field via 10 miles of subsea pipeline.

Adrian Turner, the company's managing director, said, "Coming in just the second year of our activity in the UK, this marks a very significant milestone in our progress to build a substantial development and production business here."

ATP is a wholly owned subsidiary of ATP Oil & Gas Corp., Houston.